Donnie Brasco: Special Edition

Depp's Best. Don't Fuggehtaboutit.

Would you be willing to spend seven years of your life separate from your loved ones and your life?

Joe Pistone did, and almost died from it. Instead of sulking, he wrote a book which in turn became a movie.

A great movie, but one thats first excursion onto DVD was less than remarkable. Now, we've got a brand new bouncing baby goodfella...

One of the best title sequences there is.

The Movie Joe Pistone is already deep undercover as Donnie Brasco when we meet him. Under the guise of a "jeweler", a guy who can move precious stones, he has an "in" into the tendrils of the mob. Once there, he immerses himself into the lives of guys with names like Lefty, Paulie, Sonny, Nicky, and Bruno and becomes a "friend of ours" which we learn is an insider's term for someone to trust. After changing the way he carries his money (wallets are for sissies, we discover), his hygiene (mustache has got to go), and his wardrobe (polyester is king) he's a part of a crew.

"Oh my God! Who ate the last cannoli!"

A crew of small timers. Underlings. Guys whose only ticket to the top is through violence. It's the hierarchy of brutality that we become familiar with over the course of the film. Al Pacino is Donnie's sponsor, Lefty. A haggard older guy who somehow has managed to never elevate his ranking, he's the tragic character here. With a son (actually a friend of my family in the Bronx, Larry Romano) who's a junkie, never enough scratch to retire, and "Cancer of the Prick", he's got the odds stacked against him. Donnie, to him, represents a way of living vicariously through someone else. Someone younger, with potential. Someone with their life ahead of them. Essentially, the son he doesn't have.

Al Pacino. Action hero.

So, their gang of wannabes (and remember, this is a true story) conduct crimes as petty as stealing parking meters all the way up to murder. Donnie, all the while being an FBI agent trying to crack the case.

Take one guess who's about to get their ass handed to them.

While there are aspects of the gangster life that are alluring, Donnie becomes more attached to relationships than "the life". Even moreso than the bond Donnie/Joe shares with his wife (Anne Heche, really delivering a good supporting performance), it's the relationship with Lefty that makes the film special. We'll often see in an undercover cop film where the money, sex, or drugs blur the lines between good and evil, but this film really sets itself apart by being honest and true to the characters. Donnie crosses invisible lines between duty and his persona, but they're made believable and interesting by the MOTIVATION.

Johnny Depp contributes to the ever growing list of the nation's punched.

When Sonny Black (The always fun Michael Madsen) orders Donnie to join his crew, Donnie risks his neck not for his cover or his family but to provide support for Lefty in a time of need. THAT, even more than the spot-on costumes, accents, and performers... makes this a classic.

"Doc, she's seeing this sitcom chick. Fugggetaboutit!"

The acting is absolutely PERFECT. Johnny Depp leapt ahead of his contemporaries into turf occupied only by Edward Norton in terms of sheer perfection. His subtlety is there when needed, but the explosiveness and wildness a person would need to do that kind of job is always brewing under the surface. Originally a role intended for Tom Cruise, I honestly think not one person on the planet could have done a better job. Not even the real Joe Pistone, who they say Depp got down to a "T".

Italian Stereotype #12934.

Pacino has never been accused of subtlety, but here he wisely takes a supporting role which allows him to not have to carry a picture with theatrics. He's a very flawed, unattractive, but sympathetic character. Childish at times, brutish at times, but always with depth not often given to a character like Lefty. Had he not blown me away with THE INSIDER, I'd have said this was his best acting since Godfather 2.

"You mind if I borrow your ear?"

Then there's the others. Bruno Kirby, AMAZING. Anne Heche, PERFECT. James Russo, A REVELATION. Robert Iano, MENACE PERSONIFIED. Such a wonderful cast, and when good old Paul Giamatti's face appears briefly it only adds to the mix. Coupled with Pistone's true and arresting (pun intended) story, it's a match made in gangster heaven.

There's one more thing...

What director would you turn to to supply an unpretentious, non-derivative, and rich experience for a film like this?

Scorsese? Coppola? DePalma? Milius? Levinson?

How's about the guy who did "Four Weddings and a Funeral"? Yep, Mike Newell.

You want to talk about being blindsided? Between he and Curtis Hanson with "LA Confidential" I'll never even try to assume I know the limitations of a director's ability from one film. LIGHT YEARS of range between the two films. He handles this eclectic group of actors so well, shoots a scene so well, and fills it with so much character that I'd DARE any of the directors above to do a better job. They couldn't.

The Video I have the original version and there's little to no difference between the two.

That's not an insult as the original was fine! This a very plain looking film. These are working class Joes and to give the film the gloss or romanticism Coppola did to the Godfather films (especially 3) would defy it. Instead, what is in fact a conscious decision may hurt a few folks' perspective of the visual presentation. There's little to no color other than dark hues, and the DVD handles them aptly.

It's 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and all is well. Nothing that'll knock your eyebrows off, but certainly no small feat.

Enough choices? I hope so! Once again, this film is not built around flash but when it needs to be clever acoustically it is. Especially during scenes like the one at the Chinese restaurant (a hard scene to watch) or the arrest at the lounge (good placement of sounds to all channels (as if you were there almost). Also, unlike most mob films, there's not an overabundance of familiar songs on the track to distract you or create false nostalgia. It's a very genuine film with a sound presentation that's similar.

And then there's the "Fuggetaboutit" scene.8 out of 10

Paul Giamatti. The sexiest man alive.

The Extras Deleted scenes! GOOD ONES!

If you like Michael Madsen, you'll be glad to know some of his best work on the film has been made available. Also, some really fun comments that would have made Bruno Kirby's character even funnier (My favorite from the film, as he's playing cards... "This isn't a hand... it's a f#@*ing deformed Creature From the Black Lagoon's f#@*ing claw"). Also, if you want to see a lion using the sidewalk as a toilet, here's your place.

The choice to view them with or without director commentary is cool, because his take is usually as interesting as the scene itself. He also seems terrified about the fact he cut Madsen's big scene because apparently the actor wanted to wring his neck!

There's a great 20+ minute feature with the cast, crew, and the REAL Donnie Brasco himself. Funny thing is, in the other featurette supplied, his face has been hidden and in this one he's in plain sight. Weird. Either way, it offers plenty of insight into this solid, solid picture.

Then there's the commentary. Newell is a great host. He offers bunches of comments about the scenes he liked (most of them) and the ones he hated (an airport encounter), but what really is engrossing is his love of the acting process.

He'll find certain scenes and ask you to watch a particular expression by an actor and I'll be damned if his insight didn't allow me to appreciate the performances even more.

When at its best, DVD increases ones love for film. This is one of them. Thanks for the Special Edition, guys!

And then there's the "Fuggetaboutit" scene.8 out of 10

People criticize how many glowing reviews we give. It's because we review films like this!